Saturday, September 05, 2015

There are two recurring themes in this issue of Fil-Am Who’s Who: (1) Finding your own voice in a cultural landscape that is so diverse—so that you will be heard and can make a ripple effect; and (2) Reinstilling pride in the Filipino people, especially in those who live, work, or study in the United States—no matter how cliché it is.

Besides the repeated mention, “finding your own voice” and “reinstilling pride in Filipinos” also share an important causal relationship:

Knowing your unique cultural identity sets you apart from the rest, which can make you become more familiar with yourself. “You can only love something that is familiar to you,” Doris Magsaysay Ho, Asia Society Philippines chair, pointed out to me in a recent interview. Essentially, that love for what is familiar can lead to nurturing a sense of pride and belonging.

The ongoing exhibition at Asia Society Museum dubbed as “Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms” works exactly in the same manner:

By piquing interest and creating awareness that early Filipinos were relatively affluent, sophisticated people, contrary to what history teachers taught us, creates a new familiarity; and by displaying nearly 120 jaw-dropping pieces of gold work from the 10th to 13th -century Philippines, a sense of great pride is being restored.

For four months, this groundbreaking exhibition is on display for the first time in the United States. I strongly urge you, please check it out. Expose yourself to historical art gold pieces that beam early Filipino ingenuity and rich culture.